28-01-2025
Vermillion County Council held special meeting Monday afternoon
VERMILLION COUNTY, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) — The Vermillion County Council held a special meeting Monday afternoon to meet about concerns of the future of the economic development in Vermillion County.
There was a variety of topics on the agenda including discussion on economic development, reducing appropriations for economic development funds, and the dissolving of the Economic Development 'Commission,' 'Coalition,' and 'Development Department.'
With that, before the meeting Vermillion County Commissioners sent a letter to the Vermillion County Council expressing their support for the Economic Development Coalition.
The letter wrote:
Vermillion County Council Members,
The Vermillion County Commissioner support the Economic Development in Vermillion County. If you, the County Council, choose to zero out the budget and dissolve the EDC; we believe that will send the wrong message to anyone and everyone looking at investing, building, or just relocating to Vermillion County. We, the Commissioners of Vermillion County, believe working together is key. Therefore, we are proposing that the County Council table any decisions today. In doing so, the Commissioners will call for a joint executive meeting with the County Council immediately followed by a joint regular meeting within the next 48 hours. By doing so, having a new joint agreement with the right structure in place by the end of the week. We would like to come to an agreement and work together to move Vermillion County Forward.
RJ Dunavan, Vermillion County Commissioner President & Misty Hess, Vermillion County Commissioner Vice President
In the letter, Commissioners urged the County Council to table any decisions made on Monday, regarding the EDC's future.
The meeting called Monday, was said to build a 'new structure' around the economic development as a whole for Vermillion County.
As a result, the Vermillion County Council approved Ordinance 2025-02, which is the dissolving of the Vermillion County Economic Development Commission, Vermillion County Economic Development Department, and Vermillion County Economic Development Coalition.
Also, Resolution 2025-01, was approved reducing appropriations for the Economic Development fund.
Moving forward, Vermillion County Commissioners are in agreement to work diligently with the County Council to establish a solid structure for the future of economic development in the county.
'We are here to move forward as a county,' said RJ Dunavan, President Vermillion County Commissioner. 'We want economic development to be by itself have a board of five to seven members. Made up of, we don't care who. Maybe it's members from each township in Vermillion County. Maybe it's a few members of employers, maybe it's a few elected officials. We believe economic development should be independent.'
A joint meeting of the County Commissioners and County Council members is set to happen the first week of February.
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